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The water buffalo swim in it, the children bathe in it, the fishermen live by it. The Mekong River is full of life. For nearly two months we traveled along Southeast Asia’s largest river.
For the first time we met the by then still calm river in the Laotian city of Luang Prabang. We drank a beer and watched the sunset on its banks. In Luang Prabang, the Mekong had already completed more than half of its path from the Tibetan highlands to the South China Sea.
Then we split up. The Mekong made a loop to the west while we cycled straight towards the south. Only about 350 kilometers later we met again in the Laotian capital Vientiane. Here, the Mekong River bordered with Thailand. We crossed it at the first Lao-Thai Friendship Bridge. The bridge was 1170 meters long and the views were amazing. It was on the other side, in Nong Khai, where our friend Kirk took us out for a small boat tour in the middle of the river.
In Nong Khai we parked the bikes and went to see my family who came to visit us. Together we made a tour to visit the Golden Triangle, the border area between Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. We had never been higher in the upper reaches of the river. Further down the stream the Mekong would have to flow through some canyons and rapids before it reached Luang Prabang, where we had first seen it. Opium poppies had been cultivated around the Golden Triangle and not long ago it was the biggest place for heroin and opium. Today, the production has declined significantly.
After a while we returned to Nong Khai, where our dusty bikes had been waiting for us. We hopped on them and headed east. Every night we fell asleep in Thailand with a view towands Laos on the other side of the river. There were international markets on both sides of the Mekong and many residents on the Thai side were Lao origin.
In Phon Phisai we stayed at Poo’s beautiful house with a view to Laos. His wife Numsai was born in Laos and the children grew up with both cultures.
We spent the following night in a temple in Bueng Kan. From there we followed a small road that ran right along the riverside. In Ban Huai Tai Chuam we followed the signs to the two colored river. This was where the brown Mekongwaters met the green water of another river.
From Mukdahan to Savannakhet we crossed another bridge. The second Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge was 1600 meters long. Quite wide. Soon we had Laotian soil under the wheels again and within minutes we adapted the vibe. We felt calm, happy and relaxed. From Savannakhet we cycled straight south towards the Cambodian border. But right before the border we stopped at the 4000 Islands. On the way there the rainy season began. The clear and blue waters of the Mekong slowly turned into brown floods. The children did not care at all. They enjoyed splashing on the shore no mater of which color it was. The women washed the laundry in the brown water and took a bath in their Sarongs, while adolescents and men paddled out to catch some fish.
Ban Nakasang was the last village on the mainland.
We took a boat over to the island of Don Det (pictures from Sunrise and Sunset), a beautiful place full of rice fields, guest houses and restaurants. We chatted with the local families, found a hidden swimming area in the Mekong and watched the fishermen at work. In the bays we found ruminating water buffalos. We simply ignored their dung. At about 40 ° C in the shade enjoy a swim in brown water with muddy soil.
A short bridge led across to the neighboring island of Don Khone. Here we found the marvelous Somphamit waterfalls. These and the rapids near Sombor in Cambodia were the main reasons that there was so little international shipping traffic on the Mekong River. In Don Khone, we cycled through the jungle and looked out for the rare Irrawaddy Dolphins. Unfortunately we did not spot a single one. Instead, watched over the giant stream and made out the hills of the Cambodian mainland on the other side.
After 15 days we got back to the Laotian mainland and soon after made it to the border of Cambodia. As usual men were fishing a lot on the other side too, but fishing nets were a taboo. The few remaining dolphins got caught up in the nets too easily. In Kratie we stayed in a guesthouse not too far from the shore.
From there we rode good 130 kilometers along the bank up to Kampong Cham. The paved road turned into dirt and sand soon and the children in the villages did not get to see many foreigners. They got even more excited when they saw that these weird people (we) drove bikes just as the free traders, just with tent and sleeping bags as baggage instead of goods to sell. Right behind the small town of Kroch Chmar we stopped and looked over the other side. It was quite far away.
We spent the night at the house of a girl who talked to me while Roberto stopped to take some pictures. Bunny lived in Prek Achi and she was an English teacher. Before we dumped bag and baggage, she suggested that we could go to refresh ourselves and swim in the Mekong. What a great idea! While we cooled a few children swam towards us. We answered the usual English questions (What’s your name? Where are you from? I love you!) when two men guided their cows into the water. They washed them carefully and as they finished the cows shone like after a beauty spa.
After nearly 1300 kilometers we crossed one last Mekong Bridge into Kampong Cham. Now it was time to say goodbye. The Mekong had been our faithful companion for three countries. Now it would flow Vietnam, while we rode westward across northern Cambodia and then back to Thailand.
We have crossed the Mekong in several boats, bathed in it, cycled on its banks, ate its fish, watched the water buffalo and experienced romantic sunrises and sunsets on its banks. And we have seen countless villages and met plenty of their inhabitants, who live in and by him.
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